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Motörhead Archives - I Love Blues Guitar
I Love Blues Guitar

Tag: Motörhead

  • Motörhead – Ace Of Spades

    Motörhead – “Ace of Spades”: The Ultimate Rock ’n’ Roll Gamble

    Loud. Fast. Unapologetic.
    When Motörhead unleashed “Ace of Spades” in 1980, it didn’t just rattle the walls — it rewrote the rules.

    This isn’t just a song. It’s a mission statement, a war cry, and a throttle-wide-open ride through the darker side of rock ’n’ roll. With Lemmy Kilmister growling out lyrics about risk, death, and defiance over a barrage of speed-metal riffs, “Ace of Spades” became the anthem for outlaws, headbangers, and adrenaline junkies everywhere.

    The Sound: Speed Metal Before the Term Existed

    From the first second, “Ace of Spades” comes in hot — no buildup, no warning.

    • “If you like to gamble, I tell you I’m your man…”
      Lemmy kicks off the lyrics like a challenge, and it never lets up.

    Driven by “Fast” Eddie Clarke’s razor-sharp guitar and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor’s furious drumming, the song charges ahead at a blistering pace, fusing punk energy with heavy metal muscle. Lemmy’s distorted Rickenbacker bass, which sounds like a rhythm guitar in itself, adds an unmistakable growl to the mix.

    It’s raw, relentless, and perfectly unpolished. The sound is more attitude than polish — and that’s the point.

    The Lyrics: Cards, Death, and No Regrets

    “You know I’m born to lose, and gambling’s for fools / But that’s the way I like it, baby, I don’t wanna live forever!”

    Lemmy was never one for subtlety — and that’s exactly why “Ace of Spades” works so well. The song uses gambling as a metaphor for life itself — dangerous, unpredictable, and ultimately disposable.

    But it’s not about whining over the odds. It’s about leaning into the chaos with a grin, accepting that loss is inevitable, but still going all in. There’s no self-pity here — only swagger.

    It’s also a song that captures Lemmy’s worldview in a few lines: take risks, live loud, die with your boots on.

    Cultural Impact: More Than a Metal Song

    Despite being heavy, fast, and uncompromising, “Ace of Spades” became Motörhead’s signature song, and one of the most recognizable tracks in rock history. It reached:

    • #15 on the UK Singles Chart upon release
    • #9 in 2015, shortly after Lemmy’s death, proving its legacy had only grown stronger

    It’s since been featured in countless movies, commercials, and video games, especially when a scene calls for raw power and rebellion. Few songs deliver pure adrenaline the way this one does.

    Motörhead’s Legacy: The Bridge Between Punk and Metal

    While Motörhead is often classified as heavy metal, Lemmy famously rejected the label, saying:

    “We are Motörhead, and we play rock ’n’ roll.”

    Indeed, their sound — especially in “Ace of Spades” — blurs the lines between metal and punk, influencing bands from Metallica and Slayer to Foo Fighters and Nirvana.

    The speed, aggression, and attitude of “Ace of Spades” helped pave the way for thrash metal, while its stripped-down structure kept it grounded in the primal simplicity of early rock.

    Live Performances: Loud, Louder, Motörhead

    “Ace of Spades” was a guaranteed blowout at every Motörhead show. Often played at breakneck speed, it was the band’s calling card, their explosion of noise that whipped audiences into frenzy.

    Lemmy never toned it down, never cleaned it up, and never grew tired of it — because it wasn’t just a hit. It was who they were.

    Final Thoughts

    “Ace of Spades” is rock and roll with the safety off — brutal, fast, and honest.

    It’s a song about risk, but it never blinks.
    It’s about loss, but it never sounds defeated.
    And it’s about death, but it’s very much alive.

    More than four decades after its release, it still sounds dangerous. It still makes speakers shake. And it still carries the voice of Lemmy — raspy, defiant, and eternal.

  • Motörhead – Heroes (David Bowie Cover)

    Motörhead – Heroes (David Bowie Cover)

    Motörhead – “Heroes”: Lemmy’s Last Salute to the Thin White Duke

    When Motörhead released their cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” in 2017—two years after the death of Lemmy Kilmister—it wasn’t just a tribute. It was a farewell, a war cry, and a hymn, wrapped in distortion and grit, delivered by a band that never played anything halfway.

    In their hands, Bowie’s shimmering, romantic anthem became something raw and gravel-throated. Not broken—just worn, lived-in, and true to the bone.

    It’s not just “Heroes” reimagined.
    It’s “Heroes” through the eyes of a road-weary survivor.

    The Sound: Thunder Meets Stardust

    Motörhead’s version is slower than their usual firestorm pace, but it’s still undeniably heavy. The arrangement is filled with thick, churning guitar riffs, a thudding, deliberate rhythm, and just enough sonic space to let the lyrics hang in the air like smoke.

    What makes this cover remarkable is its restraint. Motörhead doesn’t try to outshine Bowie, nor do they reinvent the song with speed or fury. Instead, they bring a weight to it—a kind of world-worn wisdom.

    And then there’s Lemmy.

    The Voice: Gravel and Glory

    Lemmy’s voice, by 2015 (when the track was recorded during the Bad Magic sessions), was already showing the signs of time and illness. But that’s precisely what makes this performance so haunting.

    “We can be heroes / Just for one day…”

    Coming from Lemmy—the eternal outsider, the rebel, the last outlaw of rock ‘n’ roll—those words carry a different meaning. There’s no glamor, no fantasy. Just raw belief in the line. It’s defiance laced with vulnerability.

    His delivery doesn’t soar. It stares death in the face and sings anyway.

    The Meaning: One Icon Saluting Another

    Lemmy and Bowie were both British icons, born within months of each other in 1945. Their music couldn’t have been more different—Motörhead all fire and speed, Bowie all reinvention and elegance—but they were both uncompromising artists, survivors, and deeply human in their art.

    This cover feels less like a fan tribute and more like one legend tipping his hat to another. Not just admiration—but understanding.

    They knew what it was to burn bright in a dark world.
    To stand tall when everything else fell away.
    To be heroes—not forever—but when it counted.

    The Release: A Posthumous Gift

    Motörhead’s version of “Heroes” first appeared on the 2017 compilation Under Cöver, which featured the band’s takes on other artists like Judas Priest, Sex Pistols, and The Rolling Stones. But “Heroes” stood apart.

    It was recorded during what would be Lemmy’s final studio sessions, and its release after his passing gave fans a moment of catharsis—a rare glimpse of tenderness from one of rock’s most fearsome frontmen.

    Many fans and critics consider it one of the most moving covers of Bowie’s work ever recorded.

    Legacy: A Final Bow in Leather and Steel

    Motörhead didn’t soften Bowie’s message—they hardened it, shaped it into something forged in sweat, smoke, and survival. Their “Heroes” isn’t a dream. It’s a battlefield anthem, battered but unbroken.

    In that way, it’s the perfect final act for Lemmy:
    a song of hope, howled into the void, with everything left on the table.

    Final Thoughts

    Motörhead’s “Heroes” is not polished.
    It’s not perfect.
    But it’s honest. Powerful. Unforgettable.

    It’s the sound of Lemmy Kilmister, near the end of his road,
    singing one last anthem for the misfits, the warriors, the true believers.

    And in that moment, just for one day—
    he wasn’t just Lemmy. He was a Hero.